South Bank University, St Georges Circus, Southwark, London
The development, subsequently named ‘McLaren House’ provides some 633 student study bedrooms all of which have ensuite shower and WC facilities. Of these 6 are specifically designed for wheelchair bound students . Also included are 2No wardens flats and 2 flats for visiting lecturers together with residents communal and ancillary facilities. Whilst the primary use is for student accommodation the development also caters for vacational lets and conference usage.
The accommodation is provided in a total of 7 blocks and this design approach was adopted deliberately to assist with the economic viability by enabling the development to be phased so that income from completed phases could be bank rolled to aid the funding of the subsequent phases. Of the 7 blocks 2 are 9 storey located on either side of the main 10 storey block which fronts on to St Georges Circus and therefore appropriately incorporates a curved facade. From this position the remaining blocks step down in scale to relate to the site context; the blocks along Waterloo Road and Blackfriars Road step down to 7 and 6 stories respectively in response to the height of the existing adjacent properties. All blocks are generally based on a common cluster layout which comprises 8 ensuite bedrooms sharing a communal kitchen and dining area. One of the principal features of the design is the stainless steel clad barrel vault roof which creates a dramatic climax to the elevational composition.
The project was completed in 1996 at a contract value of £11.4m
